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Limit Your Nasal Maneuvers

Did you know that nose drops and sprays can be addictive? Allergy
nurse Bonnie Dooley, R.N., of Eastern Virginia Ear, Nose & Throat
Specialists, sees patients who can't go an hour without a spritz of
12-hour nasal spray. Overuse causes "rebound swelling" and ever-worse
congestion. Extreme spritzing can also mess with your blood pressure,
which means there could be such a thing as killer nose drops.

Next time you have a stuffy nose, try plain salt water. Drugstores
sell squirt bottles of saline solution—cheap. It eases congestion by
moistening dry nasal passages, and can't be overused. Taking an
antihistamine or inhaling steam can also loosen mucus.